10 Tips for Improving Your Pirouettes

Ah, the dreaded turn combination. If you panic at the idea of doing a double pirouette in class—let alone 32 fouettes onstage—there are definite steps you can take that will lead to more secure and beautiful turns, with greater confidence and improved technique.
1. The foundation for improving your turns begins with plies at the barre.Make sure you’re reaching your knees to the side while dropping your tailbone straight down. Plies take work and you need to insist that you’re pushing into your full range of motion at all times. Squeeze all the way down to the bottom of your demi plie and when you hit the endpoint right before your heels begin to come off the floor, squeeze your butt and inner thighs back together.
The plie in its entirety should feel round, full, and with a sense of “down to go up,” like a spring you’re putting pressure on. You should never hit a lifeless position, hold it endlessly, and expect to have any innate momentum left to anything out of it. Instead, feel that your plies are muscular, endless, springy, and wide. They should be more than unstraightening your knees and definitely aren’t a rest step.
2. Pay attention to your supporting leg.You should have